


The One I Call Mine

by vivalarhettsistance



Category: Colors - Halsey (Song)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-24 19:29:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16646294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivalarhettsistance/pseuds/vivalarhettsistance
Summary: Dante Bianchi is a professor. Alex Pierce is a new professor, who happens to be a past student of Dante's. Will they fall in love??? Yes.





	The One I Call Mine

He didn't know the time, or where exactly they had ended up on their midnight stroll downtown, but, there was one thing he was absolutely, positively certain of whilst he stood, hand in hand, next to the young man. He was in love. He was in love in all of it's ugly, awesome glory, and there was nothing he could do about it.

~~Chapter 1.~~  
Fine

He felt as though there was a rude, unforgiving, five ton elephant sitting atop his chest, glowering at him, daring him to sit up; to go ahead and begin his day. Every morning was the same. Just like this. He turned his head to the side, staring at the clock on his dresser. Three o'clock in the evening. Morning. Whatever. Either way, it was two hours before he had to be up, and prepare himself for anything. He nestled the back of his head against the pillow, switching his gaze from the clock to the ceiling. He was afraid to look elsewhere, the shadows in the room seemed to enjoy playing tricks on him. He closed his eyes, counting to five, before opening them. The elephant was gone, for now, and he was able to breathe again.

There wasn't much he looked forward to in a day. A warm shower, a fresh cup of coffee from the cafe on the way to the university, maybe a bagel, and then on to teach his classes. Dante was the professor with the most tenure, so he wasn't that surprised when his boss introduced him to the newest addition to the academic team.

“Alexander Pierce. It's an honor to meet you.” The younger man stated, extending his hand. He was British, as told from the accent. He let his own eyes wander along Alexander's features, his pale, clean shaven face, the chance of ever having had facial hair slim to none, his bright green eyes, the black hair that seemed to have been brushed back in vain, as it began to release from the gel to stand upright. He was beautiful, and all too familiar.  
“Dante. Dante Bianchi.” He replied, taking Alexander's hand into his own and giving it a firm shake.  
“Oh. Like the town?” He could feel a smile creep across his lips.  
“Yes. Exactly.” He released the young man's hand, instead placing his own on the center of his back. “Allow me to show you around.”

_____________

Alex didn't necessarily need a tour of the university, as he had attended this very school as a student a few years ago. He was stunned that his former professor didn't recognize him, though. Stunned, and, a little disappointed.

When the couple came to a stop in front of what was Alex's new classroom, though, Dante looked from the door to Alex, smiling. Suddenly, the world fell away, crumbling to pieces around their bodies, the two of them remaining. Alex could feel his own heartbeat, could hear the deafening sound in his ears, which he could feel turning red. Something about the older man's gaze felt intense, and Alex could feel himself becoming lost in the dark pools that were Dante's deep brown eyes. He felt as though Dante was unable to pull away, or, perhaps, that was Alex projecting his own emotions upon the older man.

“I look forward to working with you.” Dante began, pulling his hand away from his back and walking to the door directly across the hall and resting his fingers on the doorknob. “If you have any questions, any concerns, feel free to come to me at any time.” He opened the door and slid inside, gone.

With that, Alex slumped against his own door, running a shaky hand through his hair once he was sure he was alone in the hall. He drew in a breath, and released it. Shortly thereafter, he had gathered himself and turned, entering his own classroom to greet his students.

_____________

Dante was used to eating his lunch alone, perched in a corner of the break room, papers sprawled over the surface, of a table adjacent to the large window, so it was a surprise when he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, someone sit across from him.  
“Is it alright if I sit here, Professor?” came the familiar voice, causing Dante to look up.  
“Of course. And, you're able to call me Dante. ‘Professor’ is far too formal, seeing as we're coworkers, Alexander.”  
“Oh, well, in that case, you can just call me ‘Alex’.”  
“If that's what you'd prefer.” Dante replied, returning to his papers. 

It wasn't long before he realized he wasn't going to be able to achieve his goal of grading the essays, though, as Alex seemed to take Dante's acquaintance as an excuse to keep talking. As Alex continued on about his day, Dante neatly stacked his papers back into his briefcase. He didn't mind the other being there, and had rested his chin on his intertwined fingers to look invested in the ramblings of the other, but, he couldn't stop himself from wondering why this kid hadn't been talkative in the past. He had been a quiet, serious student, who would have been taken for a mute if not for the answers he would state while other students just stared ahead. He watched him pick up a carrot stick and bite down on it, chewing as he thought about what else to say.

“Is there something on my face?” Alex inquired, immediately reaching for his cheeks. It was cute, to be able to see his face flush. Dante couldn't help but smile.  
“No, sorry, I was lost in your eyes.” He replied, noticing the ears immediately follow his face in becoming red.  
“I.. Uh..” Alex stuttered, unsure of how to proceed with the conversation. Dante raised an eyebrow as a timer on the table signaled his lunch was over, Alex's lips still parted whilst attempting to come up with a proper response.  
“I have to finish for the day, but you'll come up with something, right?” He stood, leaving Alex with the question.

Dante wasn’t afraid to admit that he was a bit disappointed when an hour had passed since his last class had ended and there was yet to be a sign of Alex. He didn't think his comment would affect the other the way it had. He figured now was the best time to actually leave his office, pretend he hadn't been waiting for what seemed like forever, and head home. Grabbing his briefcase and his coat, he headed out, locking the office door and leaving the main building.

_____________

Alex pulled his coat over his head in a feeble attempt to shield his hair from the downpour. He had missed his bus due to a student holding him back with a question, and it was raining. Hard. He figured now was the best time to seek refuge beneath the nearby awning of an exit of the main building and schedule a Lyft. He ran, not stopping until he was beneath the metallic cover, his huffs were silenced by the sound of the rain pelting the metal. He sat on the steps, pulling his phone from his pocket, though he didn't realize who was behind him as he did so.

“I take it you're stranded?” Came the familiar voice, causing Alex to turn.  
“Yeah. I, uh, missed my bus.”  
“I can give you a ride, if you'd like.”  
“No, you don't have to do that. I live kind of far from here.”  
“Is it less than a twenty-four hour drive?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Then it's not that far. Come on, kid.” Dante nudged him with his shoe, and Alex stood.  
“Sorry if I get your car wet. I'm soaked.”  
“My car will be fine.” Dante insisted, leading Alex back through the rain, and toward the faculty parking lot.

As it turned out, in quite the most favorable coincidence, Alex’s home was just a mile away from Dante's own. Dante pointed this out, and Alex looked from the window over to him, smiling and asking “Is that so?” before the car came to a stop in the driveway.

“I see a car in the driveway. Is your wife home?” Dante hadn't noticed the blush on Alex's face.  
“No. I'm not married.”  
“Oh. Then, whose car is that?”  
“My roommates. He doesn't work, but finances aren't an issue with him due to his parents owning a winery in some country. Greece, I think. His mom is also an accomplished botanist. I'm not one to ask for rides, so, I just ride the bus.”  
“Ah.” He hadn't asked for the backstory on the roommate, but sure as Hell had received one. “Well, I live right down the road. If you'd like, we could carpool to and from the university.”  
“Dante, that's a great offer, but, I'm alright with the bus.”  
“Look, kid. Carpool with me, and you'll be able to save up for your own car in no time at all.”  
“I don’t want to be a burden..” Alex trailer off, looking at his hands, which were resting in his lap. Dante couldn't help but place a hand on Alex's shoulder, accompanied by a small squeeze.  
“I assure you, you never will be.”

_____________

Charlie sat on the couch, hunched over and completely focused on the screen in front of him, hands gripping the controller as profanities spilled from his lips into the headset he was wearing. Alex set his bag on the hall table, removing his now just-damp coat and hanging it on the coat rack, before sitting on the opposite end of the couch.  
“How was your day, man?” Charlie asked, eyes still glued to the screen.  
“It was alright. Saw my old professor-”  
“You son of a bitch!” Charlie screamed, tearing off his headset as his on-screen character died. He looked as though he was going to follow it up by throwing the controller, but, instead, he gently set it on the coffee table. “Well, I'm definitely all ears now.” He positioned his back against the arm of the couch, now looking directly at Alex through his spread knees.

“Have you.. have you not left the couch today?” Alex inquired, noticing Charlie was still in the same pajama bottoms and tank top he had worn last night.  
“If I say ‘yes’, will you drop the subject?”  
“No, because then I'd know you were lying. Charlie, we've talked about this. You can't just stay cooped up in the house, glued to the telly. You need to get out. Live a little.”  
“Says the guy who spends his nights in his bedroom, and his weekends in the study. Don't teachers get to have a little fun too?”  
“No.”

It was late. Too late. Alex knew he had had to be home two hours ago. On a normal night, he would already have been buried beneath a warm mound of blankets to combat the chilly room. He set down his glass, and looked over at the trio that accompanied him in the booth. Charlie, Avarice, and Amelia were deep in their conversation, discussing an idiotic conspiracy theory that none of them really took as seriously as they made it seem. Alex nudged Charlie with his shoe once, then twice, then thrice, until he was able to get Charlie's attention.  
“I have work tomorrow. I have to be up early.”  
“Oh. Right.” Charlie acted as though he had forgotten Alex's profession, setting down his glass and reaching into his pocket for his wallet, pulling out and setting down a bill to cover the drinks and tip. “Sorry to cut the night, short, guys.”  
“Nah,” Avarice began, pulling out his phone and yawning. “you’re fine. I've got an early day at the firm tomorrow, and Amelia's got her proposal to finish. Sorry for keeping you guys so late. ‘Specially you, Alex.” The four of them slid out from the booth, said their goodbyes, and exited the bar to find their respective cars.

A shiver ran through Alex's body as their hands brushed together, but it could easily have been mistaken as a result of the cold, crisp air surrounding them. It was the beginning of the season, and the snow had just started falling, kissing the tops of trees and cars, as it dropped, sticking to the surfaces of each object. Alex loved to see each result of the first snowfall of the year, how it coated everything in white, the virgin snow untouched by man or animal. He enjoyed sitting on a park bench, newspaper beneath him so he wouldn't get wet, mittened hands wrapped around a warm paper cup of coffee, the steam released from the hot beverage tickling his nose. It was different this year, though, because he was accompanied by someone. He looked over at Dante, who seemed fixated on a pair of ice skaters creating figure-eights on the surface of the lake. 

“This is wonderful.” Dante stated, tearing his gaze from the couple and looking over at Alex. He could feel the warmth creep across his face as Dante took Alex's hand in his, squeezing it lightly. “I'm so happy to share this moment with you. Thank you for bringing me here.”  
“I'm glad you came.” Alex replied, smiling. With that, Dante did the unexpected, leaning forward and planting a kiss against Alex's lips. Before he could pull away, Alex set his cup down and pulled the older man in, spreading his lips apart and feeling the hot air against his mouth. He pressed against Dante, not caring if anyone saw, and realizing, in that moment, he didn't need anyone else. He only wanted him. And, he could tell Dante felt the same, and that this wasn't one of those moments where he projected himself onto the man. He was content. He was in love.

Alex sat up, covered in sweat, and breathing heavily. “Fuck.” He whispered under his breath.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know. This has nothing to do with anything and all of the characters are original. I'll find somewhere else to post soon lmao


End file.
